Son of Unicorns
by Daemonchan
Summary: One night of intimacy between Lir and Amalthea leads to the most perilous quest ever undertaken by Man or Unicorn: Duo's search to find what it means to be Man...
1. Prologue

Son of Unicorns

A Gundam Wing Alterverse

By Daemonchan

The Last Unicorn has been mortal, has known what it is to love...and to be loved. From one night of passion comes her half human son, Duo, a unique creature not quite of the Unicorn's world, nor that of Man.

Duo questions his heritage and quests to find out what it truly means to be human...

::author's caveat::

Ah, the reality of fiction...all I ask is a suspension of belief. If Lear and Amalthea could fall in love in a few days, who's to say they didn't...um...well, you know.

I have seen the movie enough to be able to quote a good chunk and I've read the book several times as well. Anything that has been changed is for the sake of this story, and the fact that it struck me that Duo and the Unicorn have the same color eyes.

Coincidence? I think not.

§ § § § §

She found him at the lake, once again staring into the silver waters as if the answers to all his questions lay there. His chestnut hair was wild, the ends jagged where he had been clever enough to shear it with a sharp rock so that it would not hinder his movements. His pale body shone in the moonlight, unable to mask his magical birth.

"Duo."

He stood quietly, his back still to her. "Amalthea."

She sighed as the name called forth old memories, forever ingrained into her soul. Images of a Prince, fair haired and brave, who died so that she might complete her quest to return magic to the world of Man once again. Her touch had brought him back to life, but only after she could no longer remain with him...grow old and die with him...

Regret swelled in her breast, an emotion she still found unfamiliar and terrfying. It was something she felt whenever she recalled the time she has spent as a human girl, desparate to find out what had happened to the others, the unicorns who had seemingly vanished from the face of the earth.

For a time she had been able to remain a unicorn on the inside, though she could feel herself slipping away every minute, each moment as the human body sought to take over her immortal soul. Day by day, what she had been slipped away from her, leaving only a very frightened human girl in its place.

Lir had banished that fear. For a precious time, Amalthea had been unafraid of her new humanity, and had forgotten that she had ever been an immortal Unicorn. New emotions stirred her soul and body and she fell in love.

A night...that was all it took for her to accept her mortality, to be willing to throw forever away for a few uncertain years with the man she loved. Lir had come to her that night, waking her from her foggy nightmares of the Red Bull as it sought to chase her down and take her to the other Unicorns, trapped forever at the whim of King Haggard.

He made love to her then, to banish the phantoms that haunted her every moment, waking and not. She had never felt such power...such passion, even as a unicorn. Her own body responded to his need and for a moment they were one.

The next day was the day they had chosen to confront the Bull, to find the other Unicorns before the last of them became too human to care.

Haggard's castle had fallen into the sea, the Unicorns had returned to the world. Schmendrick had changed her back, despite her protests and her wishes to remain human with Lir, the man she loved. She had returned to her forest, as immortal and magical as the day she had left but changed...still human in many ways.

It was many months later that Duo had been born, the child of Unicorn and Man. Unlike other Unicorn mothers, she felt the need to remain with him, and raise him until he was old enough to take care of himself. It was when he was nearly a year old that his talent took form.

Duo could change between human and Unicorn bodies.

The human form was much like Amalthea's had been. Inhumanly pale skin accented by large, violet eyes that reflected the forest in which he had been born and the animals protected by Unicorn magic. A pale star was the only mark on his body, in the center of his forehead where his horn would be.

Amalthea stared at her beautiful son, suddenly sad for him. He would never know his father; Lir must have died many years ago. Time passed quickly for Unicorns and hundreds of years could have come and gone.

Duo turned to his mother, smiling. "Why do Men have hands?"

The Unicorn smiled gently. She had tried to teach him all she had learned of Man in her short time but there were still so many things she did not know. She was human for a few days; Duo would be part human forever.

"I could not tell you. I am sorry."

The boy ran to his mother, throwing his arms about her neck. "Do not be sorry, mother. I just have so many questions..."

She turned to him, nuzzling the small of his back. "I know, heart. I wish I had your answers."

He giggled suddenly. "Perhaps I should ask a butterfly."

She laughed in return. "Perhaps you should."

Still the idea struck the Unicorn. She had once ventured into the world at the advice of a butterfly, a flightly creature at best, so full of the poetry of Man that it had been very hard to understand. Still, his words had sent her on her way and led her to her ultimate fate. Perhaps it would be the best way for Duo to understand his human half.

To learn from Man himself.

Unicorn found herself paralyzed with fear for her son's safety. She remembered how cruel Man could be, even to their own kind. But, she knew there was also good in the world, things like loyal friends and love. Duo had to learn of these things, good and evil, and she could not teach him.

She stepped back to face her son. Duo looked at her curiously, violet eyes wide and trusting.

"You must go into the world of Man, my son. It is the only way to discover the answers you seek."

Duo found himself wrestling with fear and excitement. To explore a world that he had only heard about in his mother's stories, to find out for himself what it meant to be part human. Still, there was fear of the unknown. Unicorn couldn't tell him everything...and that left many things to learn.

Excitement won over his fear. This was his chance to satisfy his curiosity. "I understand, Amalthea."

§ § § § §

It was much like the day she had left her forest. Unicorn stood on a grassy rise next to the man made road, staring down at her child. All the animals gathered to bid farewell to their beloved son, Duo finding it hard to leave behind everything he had ever known.

He stood on the road before his mother in his unicorn form, white coat gleaming. His silver hair streamed in the wind, whipping about his face and helping to hide the tears he could feel at the edges of his deep eyes. Amalthea had already said her goodbyes, she reared on her hind legs before dashing back into the protection of the trees, the animals following her.

Duo was alone.

His mother's advice rang through his head, helping to lend stength to his faltering steps.

_Any man who sees you will take you for just a white horse. Man cannot see what he does not believe in. Remain a unicorn until you reach the town. There will be things called clothing draped over ropes. You must take a shirt, that has long tubes for your arms, and pants, even longer for you legs. It is considered improper to walk around without these things and you do not want to drawn attention to yourself._

_Stay with the road. This will lead you to where you need to go. Trust that. And know that I love you and wait for your return._

Duo turned from the trees, settling his eyes upon the golden sunset. It was time.

He began to run, away from his home, towards his uncertain fate. To whatever came, good or bad. Soon he would know.

And soon he would regret.

End Prologue 


	2. Part One: Walking Man's Road

Son of Unicorns

Walking Man's Road

§ § § § §

Duo slumped at the riverside, anxious to remove the man made traps from his feet. He had only worn the shoes for three days and he was already willing to never learn of Man if it meant his feet would stop aching.

His mother had told him of many things in a desperate effort to prepare him before he set off into a world in which he was not known. She had described things called clothing that would ward off the weather that did not affect him as a Unicorn. He found that he became cold easily when he spent time in his human form, a marked difference from his tolerance as a creature of magic.

She had not warned him of shoes.

He had acquired clothing his first full day as a human boy. It was not hard to remove the loose garments from the hanging lines where they lay to dry. Shuddering at the feel of death that hung in a sickly miasma about the log structure, he snatched the pieces of cloth and ran into the clean solace of the woods. He was lucky he had stumbled upon the small hunting lodge, with the hunters gone.

His mother begged him to remain as a Unicorn until he met a young girl, or an innocent who would recognize him for what he was. After a few days, Duo was sure that he wanted every experience of being human that he could get.

The first night of being fully human quickly dissolved that notion. It had rained endlessly, quickly soaking through the thin material of his shirt and pants. Duo found that even under shelter, he was continuously assailed by the wind, making his pale skin clammy to the touch. He suffered for a couple hours before giving up and melting back into his Unicorn body. With no way to carry them, he left the garments on the forest floor. He would wait until he had the chance to meet someone he could trust.

It wasn't long before he came upon traces of civilization. The road led around the outskirts of a small village and he watched with fascination as the humans within bustled about their lives. Children screamed and laughed, with mothers watching carefully with an odd scolding word every so often. He smiled and moved on, unwilling to face Man just yet.

He came across as old cottage as he continued through the woods. The roof was neatly thatched, and was in a decent enough condition to serve as a dwelling. In a cascade of silver, he transformed into a human boy, and approached the old woman who lived there.

Blind with age, she thought he'd been robbed off all his possessions, including his clothing and set about gathering him supplies from what remained of her own son's things. Her children were grown and moved away and was more than happy to help him.

She fitted him with a large peasants shirt and leather breeches. Her son had left behind a thick cloak, dark and warm. As she helped him dress, she did not comment on his clumsy movements. The sleeves of the shirt had confused him and the lacing on the pants was near impossible.

With patient, aged hands, she brushed his wild cascade of hair for him, taking the good part of the evening to teach him how to weave the strands so that it would be out of his way.

Duo smiled as he thought back on the woman he had begun to call Granny, at her request. He was quite sure that she knew exactly what he was; many times he caught her staring at him with sightless eyes, wet with tears that girls shed in a Unicorn's presence.

He had left her a day later, eager to continue his journey. He had acquired an old leather knapsack filled with meager provisions. The elderly woman refused to let him go without food, playing to his human illusion."I will not forget your kindness, Old Mother."

She smiled then, gap toothed and creased. "You are welcome, boy." The smile disappeared and concern took its place. "Be careful, Duo. I don't know what you are looking for, but the way to find it may be more dangerous than you know."

Duo had not met any other Men in his journey since leaving the cottage. He kept close to the forest when the trees were near enough to the road; he did not like the feeling of exposure when he walked on the hard packed earth of the road. Animals followed him as he passed through their homes, eager to speak with and see the rare magic of the Unicorn they sensed within the flesh.

A crowd of animals gathered about him now, a trio of curious squirrels crawling about his boots, sure that they would make good homes if the Unicorn was willing to give them up.

"I'm sorry, my friends. Perhaps when I have no further need of them."

Other squirrels had brought him food, nuts and berries they had discovered. Even in his human form, Duo did not require much food, but he did not turn down their gesture of kindness. It was nice to have their company; it helped ease his homesickness.

It had been a blue jay that had led him to the river to rest, the flighty bird eager to help. The bank was clear and carpeted with soft grass. The water was cold mountain run-off, but Duo gave into his urge to be clean. For being mostly hairless, dirt stuck to his human skin more than his silken Unicorn body. He had never been so dirty in his life.

Stripping carefully, and admonishing the animals to leave his clothing be, Duo washed in the cold river, unaware of the emerald eyes that followed his every move.

~*~*~*~

Nanashi was stunned by the beauty of the boy he saw before him. His pale skin was eerily translucent and seemed to shimmer with an unnatural light. Innocent violet eyes regarded the animals that sat about him in utter adoration. Cascades of chestnut hair tumbled to his creamy thighs, slightly dusty from travel.

Nanashi was as entranced as the chittering squirrels that hung in the branches, and the small creatures that gathered on the river bank, each speaking to the boy in their own tongues.

The boy answered each of them as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do so.

Moving slightly, Nanashi froze as the squirrels scattered in alarm. The boy in the river turned sharply, eyes casting into the forest. There was no chance of hiding any longer. With deliberate steps, he walked from his cover within the trees and approached the bank where the boy stood waiting for him.

There was no hint of shame as Duo stood naked before the intruder. Innocent violet met empty emerald, betraying no surprise. Nanashi had the uneasy feeling that the boy had known he was there all along.

"Greetings."

The words sounded foreign, as if the boy was unused to saying them. Nanashi found himself lost in the innocence that surrounded this beautiful creature, his mission falling further from his mind.

"Hello. My name is Nanashi."

"Duo." The boy frowned. "No Name? Why would Man..." Violet eyes were drawn beyond Nanashi's form, fixed with a dangerous intensity on something just behind the stranger.

"Trowa Barton."

Nanashi started, moving instinctively to stand in front of the nude youth. Something in him cried out to protect the strange boy with his very life if need be. It wasn't natural, yet it was unquestionable as well.

A line of men emerged from the shadows of the forest, faces painted to blend with the summer's foliage. They stopped a few feet from where Trowa was standing, all eyes trained on the magnificent body just behind him.

"What a prize, Nanashi. You have done well."

Trowa felt himself go cold with the deep words. Traders of flesh. These were the very lowest Mankind had to offer, yet Nanashi knew that he would do anything required for the money. Anything. Kill, rob, and sell his fellow Man into slavery.

Until now.

He looked up at the man who had spoken. "You can't have him, Dekim."

A rumbling laugh answered his bold words. "And you think to stop me? I pay you to find me boys like him. And I'd say you've outdone yourself."

Duo listened to the words, tensing in reaction to Trowa's body language. He was more animal than human; his flight instinct was beginning to kick in. Only the terrible realization that he wasn't fast enough to escape as a boy kept him in check.

Dekim swept an approving eye over the pale form. The boy stood unnaturally still, eyes studying the surrounding men with deceptive laziness. The slave trader had often seen the same look on a doe...just before his arrow found her heart.

With a broad sweep of his hand, Dekim gestured for Trowa to pick up Duo's clothing. "Dress him." Another movement and there was the heavy landing of a dark object in the dirt at Nanashi's feet. "Chain him."

The command broke past whatever backbone had reasserted itself in the Unicorn's presence. Years of training as a mercenary took over the spirit that had once been Trowa Barton and left Nanashi the mindless soldier in its wake. Trowa merely nodded and turned to Duo, his emerald eyes trained on the ground.

"Nanashi..."

With wooden movements, Trowa ignored the whispered question and held up the clothing so Duo could dress himself. The time dragged interminably as the half boy pulled on the clothing, deep violet eyes never leaving Nanashi's turned face. The mercenary wanted to scream at him, but couldn't find the strength to overcome his sudden guilt.

Trowa stood before the fully clothed youth, an iron weighing heavily in each hand. He finally met Duo's eyes as he placed the heavy cuffs on the perfect skin of the boy's arms, clasping them tightly. Emotions played across the angelic face, from confusion to wonder, and finally...a kind of shattered understanding.

Duo seemed to fold in on himself as he moved his arms with the heavy irons in place.Trowa's guilt doubled and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from crying.. The boy looked like a wild animal just place in a cage, falling to his knees with despair.

Before he could stop himself, Trowa knelt next to the trapped boy, hands brushing away the silver tears that glistened in Duo's depthless eyes. "I'm so sorry." His lips touched the ivory cheek for a eternal instant and he turned away, running from the feeling that he had help capture and destroy one of the last beautiful things of the world.

*****

::i beg forgiveness from everyone who has commented on this for the past year and a half...::

::for caitlin-chan, whose art was an inspiration everytime I felt like giving up:: 


End file.
